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CISA Practice Question: Migrating from a legacy system to a cloud-based…
A company is migrating from a legacy system to a cloud-based ERP. Which of the following is the MOST important control to ensure data integrity during data conversion?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'parallel running' (a system validation technique) with a data integrity control, but parallel running validates operational consistency over time, not the precise completeness and accuracy of the converted data set itself.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Reconciliation of control totals
Reconciliation of control totals is the most important control because it directly verifies that the sum of key fields (e.g., total account balances, record counts) in the source system matches the target cloud-based ERP after conversion. This ensures no data is lost, duplicated, or corrupted during the extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) process, which is critical for maintaining data integrity in a migration from a legacy system.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Automated backup
Why it's wrong here
Backup ensures data is saved but does not verify the correctness of the conversion process.
- ✗
User acceptance testing
Why it's wrong here
UAT tests business processes and user requirements, not the accuracy of data conversion.
- ✗
Parallel running
Why it's wrong here
Parallel running helps validate system functionality but does not directly confirm data integrity at the record level.
- ✓
Reconciliation of control totals
Why this is correct
Control totals provide a simple but effective way to verify that data quantities and key figures match between source and target systems.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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